The Gunnison City Council approved a 10 percent electric rate increase, authorized a $2.52 million contract to build a new raw water intake on the Gunnison River, and adopted the city’s 2026 Parks and Recreation Master Plan at its May 26 regular session. Council also adopted new roadway classification standards, introduced a water-system design loan on first reading, and swore in three new police officers. The meeting drew one of the largest public turnouts in years, as residents filled council chambers for an informational presentation on the future of the city’s historic irrigation ditch system. No action was taken on the ditch plan. Every action item passed unanimously.
Electric rates to rise 10 percent
Council adopted Resolution No. 3, raising electric rates 10 percent. Finance Director Ben Cowan said the increase was driven primarily by the electric fund falling below its required fund balance, a shortfall that otherwise would have required a 43 percent increase.
Cowan also cited a 4 percent wholesale power cost increase from the city’s provider and inflation on materials. The increase is intended to restore the fund balance over five years while continuing capital projects for electrification, electric-vehicle charging, and system redundancy.
A public hearing on the fees was held May 12.
Water intake contract and design loan
Council authorized City Manager Amanda Wilson to execute a $2,518,294 contract with Meridian Contracting, Inc. for Phase 1A construction of a new raw water intake from the Gunnison River. The city received a sole bid on May 19, and the award is contingent on final bid verification, funding agency compliance, and legal review. Staff called the intake a major milestone for the city’s long-planned water treatment plant.
Council separately introduced Ordinance No. 4 on first reading, approving a Drinking Water Revolving Fund loan agreement with the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority. The agreement carries 100 percent principal forgiveness at closing, functioning as a grant for past and future water-system design and engineering costs. Wilson presented the item in Cowan’s absence.
Ditch master plan packs chambers
The largest crowd of the night came for an informational presentation on the Gunnison Irrigation Ditch Master Plan. Mayor Diego Plata said it was roughly the fifth time in his six years on council that the room had filled to that extent.
Water Superintendent Nick Hill, an engineer with consultant SGM, and Public Works Director Pete Rice walked council through the plan, which studies a system of more than 25 miles of open channels, pipelines, siphons, and headgates dating to 1889. The non-potable system serves about 40 percent of city homes, and much of its infrastructure is well past its design life. The plan ranks capital projects by priority, with the most urgent addressing structural failures and measurement rather than homeowner-facing changes.
Plata addressed the crowd before the presentation, saying statements circulating in the community — that the city intended to pipe the ditches and “use them like straws” — did not reflect the plan. Staff said the document is a planning and decision-support tool, not a proposal to eliminate open channels.
Speakers were divided. One resident cited the Colorado Constitution and state ditch-easement law, called the proposal an “expensive act of self-sabotage,” and warned of legal action if any piping occurred. Another argued the 60 percent of residents without ditch access effectively subsidize the 40 percent who have it. Several speakers defended the ditch as a community asset that cools the town, recharges groundwater, supports trees, and draws visitors. Council took no action; the item was a report only.
Parks plan adopted with south-side amendment
Council adopted Resolution No. 4, approving the 2026 Parks and Recreation Master Plan developed over the past year with consultant Norris Design. Parks and Recreation Director Dan Vollendorf presented the final document.
During public comment, a resident presented a map showing eight playgrounds on the north side of Gunnison and one on the south side, and argued the city’s fastest-growing residential area — where most new housing was built in 2024 and 2025 — was being left behind. He pointed to Highway 50 as a barrier between the two halves of town. An online commenter separately advocated for a river surf wave, noting river access ranked third in the city’s outdoor-amenity survey.
Vollendorf and staff said the city owns no suitable property south of Highway 50 for a park. Council adopted the plan with an amendment directing the city to continue pursuing opportunities to expand parks and recreation south of the highway.
Roadway standards adopted
Council adopted Resolution No. 5, approving roadway classifications and functional standards based on the city’s first travel demand and operational analysis. City Engineer Carly McGowan said the study establishes a baseline for future code updates, transportation planning, and development requirements.
Three officers sworn in
Police Chief Sam Costello swore in three new officers — Matt Harvell, Vashun Lusk, and Teja Smith. Smith completed the Colorado Mesa University police academy; Harvell and Lusk graduated from the Technical College of the Rockies academy. All three begin field training June 1. Costello, joined by Deputy Chief Frank Rodriguez and Captain Chris Wilson, gave remarks on the demands and responsibilities of the profession.
Other business
In announcements, Mayor Pro Tem Marisela Ballesteros reported that a new “Opportunity Zones 2.0” designation on the Western Slope includes part of the city. Vollendorf reported that Bowman Park improvement bids came in over budget and that a recreation-center solar system was offline for repairs. During public input on non-agenda topics, a resident urged the city to add permanent crosswalk signage on Main Street to improve pedestrian safety near the university.
A Gunnison High School student reported on Project Grad, a drug- and alcohol-free overnight graduation celebration at Harmel’s Ranch Resort, funded with a $1,000 Youth Challenge Grant approved in March. The fire department reported it received a $332,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs for fire station design. Western Colorado University liaison Townes Bakke, who recently graduated, reported no summer updates. There was no consent agenda. The meeting adjourned at 8:13 p.m.
Support Independent Local Journalism — High Country Advocate was created as a real alternative to regional media that too often silences dissenting voices while taking sides in the political struggle. Producing in-depth, unflinching reporting like this series and others is expensive: servers, editing, research time, and legal review all add up quickly. If these articles have informed you or given you new perspective, please consider supporting HCA with a paid subscription — every subscriber helps keep this reporting strong and independent. 